DR Congo talks agree to push back vote to 2018

Update:
October, 18/2016 - 11:00

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KINSHASA — Participants in the Democratic Republicof Congo’s "national dialogue" agreed on Monday, in the absence of the mainopposition coalition, to push back to April 2018 the presidential election dueto take place before the end of the year.

The accord was announced after the EU threatened sanctions if the countrydid not hold elections in 2017, and condemned recent deadly violence betweenopponents and supporters of President Joseph Kabila.

The deal, reached during talks in Kinshasa, envisages Kabila remaining inpower until 2018 despite the fact that his mandate is due to end in December.

"The presidential, legislative and local elections (will be held) sixmonths after they are convened on October 30, 2017," former Togolese primeminister and talks facilitator Edem Kodjo said in a statement.

"The presidential election will take place on April 29, 2018 and thetransfer of power from the outgoing president to the incumbent will take placeon May 9," opposition negotiator Vital Kamerhe said.

The leader of the parliamentary group representing Kabila’s People’s Partyfor Reconstruction and Democracy (PPRD) confirmed the announcement.

"The election will be held in 2018," Ramazani Shadari said, adding that"all the details" of the deal would be disclosed on Tuesday.

The main opposition coalition – "Rassemblement" (Gathering) – hasboycotted the talks, however, branding them a ploy by Kabila to stay in powerbeyond the end of his term.

Even prior to Monday’s accord, the coalition had made clear that it wouldnot accept any decisions announced by dialogue representatives.

It has also called for a general strike on Wednesday across the vastcentral African nation, to give Kabila a "yellow card."

Threat of sanctions

Should the agreement hold, a new government would be set up, with the keypost of prime minister handed to an opposition figure, chief negotiator Kodjosaid.

Protests against Kabila have also seen demonstrators chant down Kodjo – seen as biased towards the president.

Kabila’s ex-campaign director Kamerhe, who was expelled from the rulingparty in 2008 when he was speaker of parliament, is seen as the favourite forthe post.

Political tension has gripped the country since Kabila’s disputedre-election in November 2011.

The national dialogue began on September 1 between the ruling majority,representatives of civil society and a minority fringe of the opposition to tryto sketch a way forward.

Later that month more than 50 people died in clashes in the capitalKinshasa as the opposition called on Kabila to step down.

’Deeply concerned’

European Union foreign ministers on Monday said the bloc was "deeplyconcerned by the political situation (and)... strongly condemns the acts ofextreme violence."A "dialogue must lead to the holding of presidential and legislativeelections as soon as possible in 2017," a statement said, as the ministersmeeting in Luxembourg threatened sanctions.

"The EU will use all the means at its disposal, including individualrestrictive measures against those responsible for serious human rightsviolations, those who promote violence and those who would try to obstruct aconsensual and peaceful solution to the crisis," the statement added.

EU foreign affairs head Federica Mogherini will now study the issue, itadded.

Diplomatic sources said last week the bloc was looking at people closeto Kabila as possible sanctions targets.

Shortly after the deadly September violence, Washington put two Kabilaallies – army commander Major General Gabriel Amisi Kumba and former inspectorof police General John Numbi – on its sanctions blacklist for underminingdemocracy.

Kabila first took office in 2001, and in 2006 a new constitutionalprovision limited the presidency to a two-term limit which expires in December.

At the beginning of this month, the Democratic Republic of Congo’selectoral commission said it would seek to delay a vote until November 2017. — AFP